Apple made some progress on the iPhone security/management front, but it has a looooooong way to go before truly satisfying enterprise concerns - or becoming a suitable alternative to BlackBerry or Windows Mobile, for that matter.

After months of speculation, Apple unveiled its next-generation smartphone, the iPhone 3G and solidified its push into the enterprise mobile space with a spattering of business-specific announcements.

But how well did these enhancements to the uber-popular device and its software measure up to enterprise users' expectations?

Last week, in anticipation of the iPhone 3G's arrival in stores —which, by the way, won't be for another month – I asked a group of CIOs about the features they most wanted to see in the new iPhone, as well as what functionality they require for large-scale deployments.

Here's the rundown of those features that IT executives most wanted, and my opinions on whether or not Apple delivered.

Tighter Security, Remote Management
Back in March, Apple announced that it would license Microsoft's ActiveSync technology to enable Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendars to be wirelessly pushed to iPhone users' devices. That was a big step in the enterprise direction: but because the functionality was set to be a part of the iPhone 2.0, which will become available for the first time when the iPhone 3G hits the market on July 11, much of initial excitement had died down since. Apple also spilled very few details on the associated security safeguards that would come along with the Exchange support

Frankly, not much has changed on the security front. Okay, so Apple said the iPhone 3G software will support Cisco IPsec VPN (virtual private network) for encrypted access to corporate networks. But that's really all the detail we got. And Apple offered even less detail on what, if any, remote management capabilities will be available—though there were some rumbles about remote device wipe and password enforcement. The company really didn't mention anything about how administrators will remotely troubleshoot and resolve individual iPhone users' hardware or software issues. And who will iPhone administrators call for support when they encounter an Exchange issue they can't solve on their own? If new calendar entries aren't making it to iPhone calendars, or mail deleted on desktop computers remains on handhelds? Apple? AT&T?? Microsoft?!? So far those questions are largely unanswered... Bottom Line: Apple made some progress on the iPhone security/management front, but it has a looooooong way to go before truly satisfying enterprise concerns—or becoming a suitable alternative to BlackBerry or Windows Mobile, for that matter.

More Flexible Mail Client
iPhone 3G will support Outlook mail, contacts and calendar sync via Active Sync, as mentioned above, so the e-mail and messaging functionality of the new iPhone will be a vast improvement over the first-generation device.

And the iPhone 3G mail client will also satisfy some of the other hopes the CIOs had, according to Apple, including the fact that e-mail will be readable in HTML format—"Its rich HTML format means email looks and acts like email on your computer," states Apple's iPhone page.

Calendars will appear much the same on an iPhone as they do via desktop computer —"Color coding makes calendar entries easy to organize and view at a glance." And users will have access to many of their calendars' desktop actions—"Tap to accept or decline a meeting invitation. Tap again to see who’s attending, check scheduling conflicts, review the agenda."

However, the degree to which the iPhone 2.0 software will function with systems like Microsoft Live Communicator and Sharepoint, functionality that Tim Davis, CIO of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, told us that he wants, is still unknown.

Bottom Line: You've got to give credit where credit's due, and Apple deserves some here. But the details of how exactly the iPhone mail client will integrate with various Web services remain to be seen.

Stronger iPhone Warranty, Insurance Policy
Albert C. Lee, IT director of New York Media, publisher of New York Magazine and NYMag.com, told me that he thinks the current one-year iPhone warranty offered by Apple/AT&T stinks. More specifically, the existing iPhone warranty covers a very limited set of repairs, and whatever fixes it does cover must be setup through Apple and not AT&T.

AT&T also doesn't currently offer an iPhone insurance plan, though it does offer supplemental insurance for other handsets. As far as I can tell, that hasn't changed with the unveiling of iPhone 3G—neither device warranty or insurance were mentioned in Steve Jobs's keynote yesterday and the related literature on Apple's site hasn't been modified.

Bottom Line: Apple and AT&T need to offer a better iPhone warranty and some form of insurance. Period.

Removable/Replaceable Battery
One common complaint about the iPhone is that it lacks a removable battery. This issue was raised by a couple of the IT executives, and though it may seem like a minor feature, the fact that the iPhone's battery is built in is a deal breaker for many business users—myself included. I carry a spare battery for my BlackBerry in my laptop bag whenever I'm travelling and it has come in handy—to same the least—on numerous occasions.

Such a change would be a major hardware modification, and Apple would most likely have announced the tweak yesterday if it were going to be a reality. The company did not mention the change, and I think it's safe to say iPhone 3G will continue to lack a removable or replaceable battery.

Bottom Line: If Apple wants to become a serious contender in the enterprise smartphone space, is should seriously consider the needs of business travelers and release an iPhone that functions with a backup power supply.

More Robust Phone Feature Set Perhaps the most notable phone/messaging feature missing from the first-generation iPhone is a cut-and-paste function. Hugh Scott, VP of IS for the wholesale business unit of Direct Energy, pointed out the iPhone's lack of cut-and-paste in a review he performed for CIO.com. The addition of such a feature would be big news to iPhone users, and I have to believe Apple would've mentioned it yesterday if cut-and-paste was going to find its way into iPhone 3G.

Frankly, I can't believe the company would leave this feature out AGAIN, as it has been one of the leading complaints about the iPhone's feature set from the start. But it looks as though Apple doesn't think cut-and-paste is so important, because iPhone 3G does not appear to have gained the functionality.

The lack of a video recorder has also been another longstanding complaint from iPhone users, including Scott, and surprisingly, Apple did not announce the addition of this functionality in the next-generation smartphone either. In fact, Apple didn't even upgrade to the 2.0MP camera on the phone.

	HTC Touch Pro	SE XPERIA X1
Processor	528MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A	528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200
OS	Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro	Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro
Memory	ROM: 512MB RAM: 288MB	ROM: 512MB RAM: 256MB
Expansion	microSD	microSD
Size	4.0" x 2.0" x 0.7"	4.3" x 2.1" x 0.7"
Weight	5.8 ounces	5.1 ounces
Display	2.8" (640 x 480)	3.0" (800 x 480)
Network	Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE HSDPA/WCDMA	Quadband GSM HSDPA
Wireless	802.11b/g Bluetooth 2.0+EDR GPS/A-GPS	802.11b/g Bluetooth 2.0+EDR GPS/A-GPS
Camera	3.2 megapixels VGA CMOS	3.2 megapixels
Battery	1350mAh Talk time: Up to 8 hours Standby: Up to 14 days	1500mAh Talk time: Up to 10 hours Standby: Up to 24 days
Photos	Gallery (HTC)	Gallery (Sony Ericsson)

HTC Touch Pro vs. Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

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http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49297012-2,00.htm

If you thought you'd heard too much about the iPhone, be prepared to hear even more. Rumour has it the 3G iPhone is coming soon, but this year it won't be alone. Other manufacturers have poured water on the touchscreen Gremlin and produced all kinds of wacky phones.

You won't be able to move this summer without someone whipping out a touchscreen phone and loudly discussing the merits of theirs over someone else's. But which ones are going to be worth your finger's precious time -- and make you feel warm on the inside and smug on the outside?

We've put together a list of four touchtastic phones set to launch this year that we think might tickle your tech bone -- but they're all pretty different, so make sure to investigate each one thoroughly before you make your final decision.

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HTC Touch Diamond
The HTC Touch Diamond isn't, as the name suggests, a mystic gem -- but it is a rather fancy phone that takes Windows Mobile to the next level of touchscreen goodness. Rather than settle for the stodgy old Windows Mobile 6.1 interface, HTC decided to add its own finger-friendly interface.

Almost everything can be done by just using your digits and there certainly is plenty to do. GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA mean that staying connected and on the right path is a cinch. It's compact, so you won't need extra-large pockets and it doesn't look bad at all, so you won't need to hide it when you meet your mates at the pub.

Pros aside, when we first used it the interface seemed rather slow at times, but this was perhaps because it was a prototype model. Another issue we had is that the screen requires more pressure on it than the iPhone does. There's no built-in 3.5mm headphone jack either, so you have to use an adaptor or the provided headphones.

It's due out in June on all the major networks. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we imagine that it will cost over £300 SIM-free and most likely be free on a contract.

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3G iPhone
Since it hasn't been officially announced, there's little we can say about the 3G iPhone, but according to the rumour-mill, the 3G iPhone will pack a larger case, a front-facing camera for video calls and obviously let you access data at higher speeds than EDGE currently allows. But does that make it much better than the current iPhone?

Your pocket space will be reduced if it's made larger to accommodate a longer-lasting battery, but 3G is a known battery hog. It's also much faster than EDGE, however -- being able to connect to the Internet over 3G means that the Web experience is going to be faster, which is a wonderful thing.

It will also make downloading YouTube videos, for example, much faster and also more widely available, as O2's 3G network covers much more of the UK than its EDGE network. On paper, the iPhone doesn't compete with the HTC Touch Diamond, but it's not always what you've got, it's how you use it.

While we don't think the 3G iPhone will be perfect, there's no denying that the iPhone's interface is very responsive. You only have to touch the screen lightly and something happens, which can't be said for all touchscreen phones. The 3G iPhone will possibly come out in the nest few weeks. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Update: The iPhone 3G has been launched, and UK prices and details are now available. Read our full Apple iPhone 3G preview here.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
The 3G iPhone might be on its way, but many tech heads are getting hot and bothered about the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Set to be Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile handset, this touchscreen beauty has the potential to be a best seller and even make Apple sweat.

The X1 is no pay as you go puppy: this silver surfer boasts GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA. But that's not all -- hidden beneath the large screen is a slide-out Qwerty keypad that lets you tap out long emails with relative ease, a feature not even the HTC Touch Diamond or iPhone has.

But the dream phone may be just that -- Sony Ericsson has had a long line of problems with past smart phones and the X1 could find itself laden with issues too. Early reports suggest the interface isn't particularly smooth and feels clunky at times. Hopefully these are just initial prototype problems that will be ironed out soon.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is set to come out some time after June. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we assume it will come free with a monthly contract. If you'd like to get a better look, check out our video from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, or have a look at these close-up pics.

Update: Read our full Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 preview.

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Garmin nuvifone
Definitely one of the more unusual entries into the touchscreen market, the Garmin nuvifone is more of a sat-nav with a built-in phone -- as you would expect from a previously sat-nav-only company. We got a glimpse of this navigation-centric phone out at MWC and it's set to come out sometime this year.

Similar to the Diamond and Xperia, the nuvifone boasts GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA. It's rather chunky, but the screen is nice and large. The model we saw was only a prototype and the interface didn't work, so we can't comment on how good it is.

What we can say, though, is that the nuvifone lacks the styling of its competitors. We also noticed that on the prototype model there's only a 2.5mm headphone jack, so again you'll either need to use the provided headphones, buy an adaptor, or buy a pair of 2.5mm cans such as these from Sennheiser.

On the plus side, Garmin is famed for its sat-nav technology, which could bring a lot to the touchscreen table. Having a GPS receiver is one thing, but integrating the technology into a phone with a slick software interface isn't always easy. If you're looking for a straightforward GPS phone, this could very well be it.

Source: c|net

Samsung's Instinct

The Instinct has one big touch screen. Click the image to view our slide show.

(Credit: Sprint)

Last year in Orlando, Samsung's UpStage was one of the biggest announcements of the CTIA show. And this year in Las Vegas, Samsung may have done it again. Today the company announced the Samsung Instinct SPH-M800, which will land at Sprint this summer. The Instinct looks a lot like a certain cell phone from Apple, but Sprint (thankfully) isn't positioning it as an iPhone killer. Rather, a Sprint spokeswoman called it just an iPhone competitor. We're not quite sure what to make of that, either.

But whatever you call it, the Instinct is undeniably eye-catching. (See our Samsung Instinct slide show.) The predominately touch-screen device sports a thin candy-bar design (4.57 inches by 2.17 inches by 0.49 inch; 4.4 ounces) in basic black. At first glance it resembles not only the iPhone, but also the LG FK700 and the Samsung SGH-F490. Indeed, its strong similarity to the latter is more than just a coincidence. Except for a feature changes and a unique interface, the Instinct is a recycled CDMA version of the SGH-F490, which we saw two months ago at the GSMA World Congress.

Yes, it's another thin phone.

(Credit: Sprint)

Features
The Instinct's feature set is well stocked with a host of goodies that should make any media phone fan proud. Inside the 3G handset, which is Sprint's first device to have EV-DO Rev. A at birth, you'll find a 2-megapixel camera, access to the Sprint Music Store for wireless downloads, stereo Bluetooth, audible caller ID, voice dialing and commands, a full HTML browser, a digital music player that shows album art, support for Sprint Radio and Sprint TV, phone as modem capability, Microsoft Live Search, and integrated GPS with Sprint navigation.

Instant messaging is not onboard, but the Instinct will display the full thread of the text conversation. You'll also get multimedia messaging and access to personal and corporate e-mail. And in a surprising move, the Instinct will have some form of Visual Voicemail (yes, Sprint says it should be capitalized), which up until has been exclusive to the iPhone. In case you haven't heard (and really, you should have), Visual Voicemail allows you to pick and choose which messages you want to hear. It's quite a cool feature, but we we wonder if AT&T and Apple are calling their copyright lawyers.

The Instinct features a full alpahbetic keyboard

(Credit: Sprint)

Interface
As mentioned earlier, the Instinct relies heavily on a large (3.1-inch, 262,000 color) touch screen, which will be your interface for almost all of the phone's functions including placing and ending calls. Below the display are three separate touch controls: a back button, a Home key, and a shortcut control that will take you to the calling menu. In an improvement over the iPhone, the display gives localized tactile feedback, and the texting and e-mailing onscreen keyboard will display in a landscape orientation. The user-programmable Favorites menu looked pretty nifty, as well, and we like the multitasking capability, which allows you to move between different functions pretty handily.

But even with those features, the menu interface isn't quite as slick as the iPhone's. It's not that it doesn't have promise; it's just that it falls a bit short in both usability and beauty. That could be because we were using a beta version; we'll have to wait for a final model to give our firm assessment.

Performance
We were glad to see that the phone comes with a 2GB memory slot and two batteries, each of which promises 5.75 hours of talk time. The 3.5mm headset jack is another plus as it lets us use our own headphones without any kind of adapter. That's very cool indeed.

So on the whole the Instinct looks promising, but at this early stage it's too early to give it a thorough shakedown--it won't be available for purchase until June for a price of "under $300."

Originally posted at CTIA show

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9905123-1.html

Samsung's Instinct

Oh, you mean this Instinct?

It Only Looks Like an iPhone
By Rob Pegoraro
Thursday, July 3, 2008, The Washington Post
So many people are lining up to buy a new touch-screen wireless phone that the carrier selling it can't keep up with demand.
No, not that one.
The popularity of Sprint Nextel's Samsung Instinct -- the company says its first-week sales beat those of all its other broadband-capable phones -- represents a bit of a puzzler.
Yes, this device bears a resemblance to Apple's iPhone. But the Instinct doesn't come with features to rival those of the iPhone. Nor does its price, $229.99 before a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year contract, offer a big discount over of Apple's creation.
Like many phones, the Instinct looks much better than it works. A polished slab about half an inch thick and weighing only 4.4 ounces, this smartphone dispenses with almost all of the standard buttons, save a few on the sides that perform such basic tasks as turning it on and adjusting its volume, in favor of a large touch-sensitive screen that fills most of its face. . . .
. . . . The Instinct comes with a long inventory of added capabilities: Web browsing, e-mail, text/picture/video messaging, digital music and video playback, photography and video recording, GPS navigation and so on. But it fumbles most of these more ambitious tasks.
Start with its on-screen keyboard, which offers neither effective spell-checking nor tactile feedback, ensuring plenty of typos. . . .
. . . . Its Web browser struggles as much with full-size sites as the antiquated software on Palm OS phones, taking an irritatingly long time to display some of them. Its e-mail software ignores Web formatting in messages and can't read PDF attachments . . .
. . . Although the crude Windows software Sprint includes can synchronize your Outlook Express or Outlook contacts list (something that required a 14-minute call to tech support in my case), Sprint doesn't let you do the same with your computer's calendar or notes. And there's no to-do list. . .

The Samsung Instinct has some good points... but it isn't in the same league as the iPhone. Read the full review by clicking on the headline.

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